Is imitation the sincerest type of flattery? In that case, the V1 ($139.99 MSRP) from newcomer Superior Efficiency Nexus (APNX) delivers it from the guts. The primary PC case we have examined from the corporate brings collectively a few of our favourite practical and aesthetic options from different makers. We’re principally okay with that, as a result of APNX spreads out the “borrowing” from loads of sources. Take, for instance, the dual-chamber design that locations its energy provide bay behind the motherboard; the design has actually introduced loads of fame to early adopter Lian Li, even when that outstanding model wasn’t the primary to do it. The identical goes for the slanted side-facing radiator mount: NZXT was among the many first to angle it for improved airflow. The massive function we will pin down because the true hallmark of one other model, although—the V1’s wood-slat accents—is an possibility that customers can save $20 by not getting. Our tackle the V1? It is a intelligent hodgepodge of among the greatest fashionable bits in latest circumstances, however accessorizing it to the total places the value into premium-case territory. It is a good case, however in case you just like the wooden particularly, stick to one of many Fractal Design North circumstances linked above.
Design: An Aesthetic Smorgasbord
As hinted above, the V1’s non-obligatory picket slats are essentially the most recognizably copied function, however this $139.99 case can be out there with out these wooden items for $20 much less. (APNX even despatched alongside a basic-black plastic grille for us to strive instead of the wooden.) We examined the black model of the case; APNX additionally affords a white mannequin (V1-W, with matching, non-obligatory lighter wooden accents) for $10 extra. Different vaguely acquainted options just like the vent patterns for the highest and proper aspect panels, using twin chambers to cut back general peak whereas sustaining radiator house, and the semi-wraparound glass all trace at different manufacturers’ inspiration much less instantly.
Situated on the entrance of the highest panel are a headset (headphone/microphone combo) jack, two USB 3.x Sort-A ports, a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Sort-C port, and two unlabeled buttons. Resulting in the facility pins of a 9-pin front-panel combo connector, the bigger button is manufactured from translucent white plastic and has a black sticker masking its central power-on indicator LED. In the meantime, the smaller button follows the identical cable bundle to a separate two-pin receiver that’s labeled to be used with a lighting controller.
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A mud filter that covers the whole bottom-panel consumption slides out from the aspect of the V1 for straightforward entry.
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The twin-chamber design is extra obvious from the again, the place we see seven slot covers on the motherboard aspect and an influence provide bay on the alternative aspect. A 120mm fan mount sits to the aspect of the motherboard I/O, its screw holes slotted to permit vertical adjustment of fan placement.
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The V1’s rear panel has what APNX calls an “Adjustable Motherboard Place Mechanism.” It is slightly band of metallic above the facility provide and motherboard I/O panel holes that covers the hole within the I/O cutout that the motherboard would depart if it have been to be moved upward. An alternate set of motherboard-standoff holes makes up the rest of this uncommon function.
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With the aspect panels off, we will see the additional holes which are about 20mm larger than these utilized by the factory-mounted standoffs. That the motherboard tray ends 9.75 inches ahead of the I/O panel explains why APNX made no point out of motherboards bigger than the 9.6-inch ATX spec, however the cable-passage panel that angles away from it extends greater than 80mm to the angled entrance radiator mount. Some cautious measurements confirmed us simply sufficient house to mount a ten.7-inch board behind a 70mm-thick radiator. (These needing extra room for cables may use a thinner radiator; simply store rigorously.) Oh, and there’s additionally sufficient room on the outward aspect of the angled entrance mount so as to add a 30mm-thick set of followers, so there’s no must deduct fan thickness from that radiator house.
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Then once more, for the reason that front-mounted radiator house overlaps with the entrance nook of the highest and backside radiator mounts, some math could also be required in case you intend to put in multiple. For instance, since we discovered 431mm of house between the top- and bottom-panel mounts, mounting a 28mm-thick 360mm radiator to the highest panel would depart simply 403mm to mount a second one to the entrance/aspect mount. And that radiator had higher be 28mm thick or much less if you would like it to clear the highest radiator’s followers.
Additionally discover the adjustable graphics-card help, which sits within the interior nook between the entrance and backside fan mounts. It makes use of twin screws that correspond to a height-adjustment slot, whereas its single screw permits builders to lock the gap and angle at which it protrudes. That is fairly versatile.
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Let’s circle again to the adjustable-motherboard function. That is what the so-called “Mechanism” (cowl) we confirmed a number of pictures in the past seems like from the within. As talked about, a second set of standoff holes permits builders to maneuver the motherboard up (20mm nearer to the V1’s prime, to be exact), and shifting the Mechanism to its corresponding place on the reverse finish of the I/O cowl will fill the alternative hole. Now, in case you’re questioning what turns into of the motherboard’s prime PCIe slot, nicely, most motherboards don’t have a card slot within the prime place. Those who have a wanted PCIe slot there don’t qualify for the “adjustment.” In actual fact, you may see one thing that appears a bit like a slot cowl occupying the portion of the house adjoining to the “Mechanism’s” various place. That is a no-fly zone for slots.
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Behind the motherboard tray is an influence provide bay that measures 258mm to the closest obstruction, although APNX says the utmost energy provide depth is just 220mm. Beneath it’s a hinged tray that holds 4 tiny 2.5-inch drive cages.
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The drive tray lifts off its two hinge pins simply. Notice: The massive spherical holes within the tray are for sticking a screwdriver by means of, whereas the smaller ones are for the threaded portion of the screw to undergo. The fundamentals are {that a} single 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch drive may be connected throughout the lids of two adjoining drive cages. However as a result of filling a cage with a drive blocks entry to the lid’s screw holes, any lid-mounted drives needs to be put in first.
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All of the detachable panels on the case have mud filters over their vents…
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The highest panel’s filter is captured between screwed-together sheets and, thus, trickier to scrub, however in case you’re utilizing the case prime as an exhaust zone, you in all probability gained’t be cleansing this filter usually. The entrance panel’s mud filter is magnetically connected to its underside for straightforward elimination and cleansing, and the vent on the upper-right-side panel is roofed in a flexible-framed mud filter that have to be bowed to take away.
Constructing With the APNX V1
The APNX V1 features a bundle of zip ties, two chrome knurled screws with Phillips-head grooves on the highest, a Phillips-to-hex standoff adapter socket, two alternative plastic catches for panel snaps, a bag of #6-32 low-profile panhead screws for the motherboard and three.5-inch drives, a bag of M3 flange-head screws for two.5-inch drives, and 5 hex/Phillips combo head screws for attaching an influence provide.
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Notice that the “LED SW” header is used to show the highest panel’s smaller button into an ARGB controller’s mode selector. It is a part of the identical cable bundle because the F_PANEL connector, as you may see. That is sensible as a result of they originate in the identical place, however it additionally is sensible as a result of that button would have historically been a reset button, and the reset pins are a part of the Intel-standard 9-pin combo header APNX makes use of right here. Different case-header cables embody HD Audio for the headset jack, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (Sort-E) for the panel’s Sort-C port, and 19-pin for its USB 3.x Sort-A ports.
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Contained in the precise header connector, these little plastic fingers maintain cable ends in place, so the very first thing I did for this construct was to take away them from the LED SW connector and slide them into the Reset pin positions of the F_PANEL combo header. (However that was my very own little bit of construct aptitude.)
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Even with our 240mm cooler mounted to its lid, the V1 has extra house surrounding each one among our full ATX construct’s elements.
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Closing up the construct makes its vacancy a lot much less noticeable.
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Testing the APNX V1
The total-size elements of our present case-testing configuration create constant quantities of warmth and noise for us to measure in our efficiency analysis. This is a recap of the elements we use for ATX builds.
APNX will need to have felt slightly bare going into a contest that included circumstances that have been already outfitted with followers, so it despatched alongside a set of its FP1-R (reversed) and FP1-120 PWM ARGB followers. The reversed followers have the frames on the consumption aspect in order that they’ll be hidden beneath the lighted blades when used on the underside panel as intakes. (On atypical followers, the frames are on the exhaust aspect.) Each variations benefit from a 30mm thickness to enhance airflow in contrast with commonplace 25.4mm followers, however we solely discovered the usual (non-reversed) model on the market at our traditional shops.
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APNX additionally despatched its $80 vertical card adapter and riser cable, which ought to permit practically any case that has a bridgeless slot panel (i.e., no bars between the slot covers) to host a PCIe x16 graphics card on this various orientation. The adapter is designed to carry playing cards with coolers as much as three slots thick, and we have been eager to see how its two-slot-wide port gap would have an effect on our card’s examined temperatures.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
The absolutely accessorized construct seems rather less empty versus the baseline configuration. Assuming that the reversed followers can be out there for a similar $6 worth as the usual circulate followers (hardly a secure assumption), we’re $116 in upgrades. If we embody the $20 that the picket grille accents had already added to the bottom mannequin, builders with this absolutely kitted-out configuration can be paying extra for the added elements than for the bottom case itself.
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Regardless of missing any pre-installed followers, the as-delivered APNX V1 nonetheless reached a fourth-place tie in CPU temperature amongst our aggressive set under attributable to its pretty good passive airflow. Including six followers pushed it to first place, however that’s extra of a theoretical proposal since we didn’t check each case in such a maximally accessorized configuration.
The measured noise ranges are attention-grabbing, with the APNX V1 taking second place to the warm-running Cougar FV270 from the left aspect. (It is extra of a middling consequence from the fitting.) Filling the V1 with followers brings us our highest noise studying as a result of…nicely, extra followers make extra noise, all else being equal. (Let’s not overthink this.)
Verdict: Inspiration From All Over
The best way to assess the V1’s efficiency contemplating all of the non-obligatory equipment? The fast abstract is that customers are welcome to fill their circumstances with as many followers as they’d like throughout the chassis’ limits, adjusting their air flow wants in accordance with their noise-control needs. The APNX V1 helps one or two extra followers than the common case, and it even has room for a pair of 360mm-format radiators. So, the thermals and noise management are a sliding scale right here that’s as much as you to arbitrate.
Relating to the picket accents, although, who amongst us hasn’t sooner or later spent $20 on aesthetics? The APNX V1 we evaluated can be out there with out these, and the elimination of that function makes the cheaper model appear like a extra affordable worth however a a lot plainer case. Deciding whether or not or not you want the remainder of the case will allow you to decide whether or not or not the wooden is price the additional cash. However as is, you may acquire an inexpensive mixture of the most recent case traits within the V1 for a average worth even in case you go for the wooden. Simply know that if you wish to package it out to the max, the V1 leads to a worth zone that competes with a few of our best-rated PC circumstances of all sizes and styles.
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The Backside Line
The APNX V1, an ATX PC case from a brand new maker, combines among the higher concepts from a number of different case makers, together with wood-slat highlights, in a very good rookie effort.
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